I ended up reading The Bone Spindle in a few days. It’s queer fantasy meets treasure hunting meets fairy tales. It’s like Vedder knew exactly what would hit all my sweet spots. Keep reading this book review for my full thoughts.
Summary
Fi is a bookish treasure hunter with a knack for ruins and riddles, who definitely doesn’t believe in true love.
Shane is a tough-as-dirt girl warrior from the north who likes cracking skulls, pretty girls, and doing things her own way.
Briar Rose is a prince under a sleeping curse, who’s been waiting a hundred years for the kiss that will wake him.
Cursed princes are nothing but ancient history to Fi–until she pricks her finger on a bone spindle while exploring a long-lost ruin. Now she’s stuck with the spirit of Briar Rose until she and Shane can break the century-old curse on his kingdom.
Dark magic, Witch Hunters, and bad exes all stand in her way–not to mention a mysterious witch who might wind up stealing Shane’s heart, along with whatever else she’s after. But nothing scares Fi more than the possibility of falling in love with Briar Rose.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
The Bone Spindle is a mash up of all my favorite book traits: sapphic romance, subversive fairy tale takes, treasure hunting, and unlikely friendship. This multiple POV story will thrill you. The treasure hunting element is *chefs kiss* perfection – the excitement of unraveling history and the intrigue of dangerous puzzles. It was an element that immediately made me fall in love. Combine that with witches and a gender bent fairy tale and I am sold.
The Bone Spindle is atmospheric and magical. I can’t figure out if I loved the dangerous relic quests more than the friendship between Shane and Fi. Both of these combined into a perfect mixture of action packed scenes with soft moments of heart melting scenes. I immediately loved how stubborn and reckless Shane was – not to mention that we’ve just scratched the surface of who she is. And don’t get me started on how much of a girl boss crush I had on Fi’s clever mind and secrets that beckon you.
Overall
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The Bone Spindle swept me away. My heart was swooning equally in the romance story lines with the friendship that blooms between Shane and Fi. The ways their guarded secrets and lone-wolf desires create a dangerous and powerful combination. It’s like I was first entranced by the treasure hunting and then fell in love with the characters. If you’re searching for those vibes all with a great foundation of characters (plus series starter), then you need to read The Bone Spindle.
Find The Bone Spindle on Goodreads, Amazon, Indiebound, Bookshop.org & The Book Depository.